D.C. schools face boom with influx of young families

WASHINGTON (AP) – Census figures show the District of Columbia will need space for 33,000 more children in schools over the next five years.

The Washington Examiner (http://bit.ly/14PGBpS ) reports there’s been a boom in the population of children younger than 5. In 2011, more than a third of the city’s youths were under 5 years old.

Peter Tatian of the Urban Institute says the increase in young children is driven by an influx of young adults over the last decade.

That’s prompting education experts to question whether the city’s schools can handle the growth. Some neighborhood schools are forecast to be short on seats, while other neighborhoods have empty seats.

Scott Pearson of the D.C. Public Charter School Board says keeping young families in the city requires high-quality schools. — Information from: The Washington Examiner, http://www.washingtonexaminer.com

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